April 13-15

Once again I will direct you to our intrepid leader, Nora's, Facebook page for the details of our tour and just chonicle our off tour activities.
https://www.facebook.com/share/1AziKW8wJc/

Our first night in Florence we shared cocktails and dinner with some our tour group. We dined on Bistecca alla Fiorentina. An enormous T-bone steak prepared very rare...much too rare for me, but many thought it delicious.

We had a great mix of people on our 16-person tour, with folks from Switzerland, New Jersey, Utah, North Carolina, California, Hawaii, and our contingent from Oregon. Our tour director, Nora, hailed from the UK by way of Belgium.

We had a "free day" in Florence, Tuesday, April 14th. Randy and I spent our morning at the Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze admiring priceless works of art. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galleria_dell'Acc…

Our afternoon was spent wandering the streets of Florence. We especially liked the Central Market and its food court.

The last day of our tour
Some of us climbed the Guinigi Tower which offered panoramic views of Lucca not to mention a good workout.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinigi_Tower

The Nisei Legacy Tour came to an end Wednesday, April 18th. It more than exceeded our expectations and brought to life the sacrifice and hardship, both mental and physical, that my father's generation exhibited during WWII. Most enlightening was how organizations in Italy are so passionate about keeping the Nisei story alive and continue to show their gratitude to the Japanese American soldiers and their descendants for liberating them from fascism and for their kindness. They did not display any prejudice towards the Nisei or toward the African American Buffalo Soldiers, both segregated units that faced discrimination in their home country.

Taking this tour was a wonderful way to honor my dad's memory and wartime service.

We'll continue our Italian adventure in Venice, back to Florence, and ending in Rome.Læs mere